Leather-working machine



(No Model.) 4Sheets-Sheet l. T. I. GAFNEY & T. O. DAWSON. LEATHER WORKING MACHINE No. 448,422. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

REG-e INVEN T DRE. 21% fvm WITNESS Q Wa 14w W -y (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. F. GAFNEY 8: T. O. DAWSON. LEATHER WORKING MAGHINE.

No. 448,422. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

(No Model.)

- 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. T. F. GAFNEY & T. O. DAWSON. LEATHER WORKING MACHINE.

No. 448,422. Patented Mar. 1'7, 1891.

[75. 5. Mmessaa INVENTEIF whh my r norms reTERs cu, mow-Luna, msnmamn n c (N0 Mddel.)

T. F. GAFNEY & T. o. DAWSON.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

LEATHER WORKING MACHINE.

Fig-4;

Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

VVITNEEEIES- rrnp STATES PATEN FMGE.

THOMAS F. GAFNEY AND THOMAS C..DAWSON, OF LYNN, MASSAOHUSETS.

LEATHER-WORKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 448,422, dated March 17, 1891. Application filed December 22, 1890. serial No. 375,424. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, THOMAS F. GAFNEY, of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States,

and THOMAS C. DAWSON, a subject of Victoria,

Queen of Great Britain, etc, and now residing in said Lynn, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Leather-Working Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification,in explaining its nature.

The invention relates to a machine for slicking, rubbing in, and finishing leather, the nature of which is best ascertained by the following description and the drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of a machine having the features of our invention. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, further illustrating the machine. Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section from side to side of the machine, taken through the rubbing-tool and parts in immediate conjunction thereto. Fig. 4 is a detail View enlarged of the rubbingtool, a flexible bed, and the reciprocating bed support or roll, showing the position they occupy at or near the back end of the stroke. Fig. 5 is a detail view in section showing the carriage for carrying the reciprocating bed support or roll.

A is the frame of the machine. It preferably is made of wood and comprises the rear uprights a a, which support the powershaft a and the shaft a and the uprights a? a which are secured or joined to the uprights a a by upper and lower tie-pieces a a the lower tie-pieces a also acting as the bed or foundation piece of the frame. The uprights a" a are braced by the bracing-rods a or, preferably extending from the sides of the uprights to floor-beams above. From the uprights a a there extendhorizontal side pieces a a These horizontal side pieces are joined at their inner ends to the uprights a a and said pieces a are supported at their outer ends by the uprights to. (See Fig. 1.) Theyfurnish or provide supports for the rails upon which the traveling or reciprocating bed support or roll, hereinafter described,

slides, and they also form a space or recess in which is located a flexible bed, the surface of which is carriedflush with or a trifie above the upper surfaces of the side pieces by the bed-supporting roll. There is also secured to one of the side pieces by brackets a a a supplementary or auxiliary bed at, preferably not made of wood. (See Fig. 5.) The shaft a supports at one end a crank-gearB and has between the uprights a a the fast and loose pulleys b b, Fig. 3. The shaft a carries at its end the crank-gear B, which meshes with the crank-gear B. The gear E has the crank -pin 0, which is connected with the hinged orpivoted tool-holder c by the pitman 0 The gear B has a crank-pin 0 which is connected with the sliding block or carriage o supporting the hinged bed support or roll 0 by the pitman c. The hinged bed support or roll 0 is connected with the pitman o by the rod 0 This connection provides the hinged bed support or roll with the swinging movement in relation to its carriage, the object of which will be hereinafter described.

'0 is the rubbing tool. It preferably is made of fibrous material like canvas or carpet formed into the shape of a pad and filled with an absorbent filling. It is secured in any convenient or desirable way to the lower end of the tool-holder c, and it is supplied with any liquid composition which it is desired to rub into the leather by the flexible supply-pipe D, which extends through a hole in the tool-holder and discharges or opens into the interiorof the rubbing-tool at (Z. The pipe is connected with a feed-can d, supported by the frame, and has a cock 01 by which the feed of the liquid is controlled. The tool-holder c is attached at e to the end of the pitman 0 It is pivoted to the lower end of the swinging bar e by a pivot 6 passing through the forked upper end and the lower end of the swinging bar. The swinging bar e is pivoted at e to the swinging-bar supports e there being two of these supports, one upon each side of the bar 6'. The swinging bar 8 is connected with the barsupports by a pivot, which extends through holes in the upper ends of both supports and the bar. The bar-supports c are pivoted at their lower ends 6 to the frame-extension e The upper end of the swinging bar e is held to the section (2 of the frame-extension by the crosspin 6 extending through a slot e in the upper end of the swinging bar. This fixes or holds the upper end of the swinging bar, while it permits the bar to rise and fall when it is moved or swung. The frame-extension e is made up of the lower side pieces 6 e, the upper side piece 6 the tie-piece c and the end piece 6 and the swinging bar 6' and bar-supports e are arranged to move between the side pieces 6 6 (See Fig.3.) The gears B B are supported at a height to cause the pitmen c c to act to hold the tool-support and the bed support or roll in a perpendicularv or vertical position during very nearly their entire forward or operating movement and to incline them during their reverse or backward movement.

The leather, skin, or other material under treatment is supported upon a flexible bed F, preferably of leather, attached to the frame at its front and rear ends and held by its front and rear ends only to be substantially flush with the upper edges of the side pieces a a and between them. It is held or sustained against the wiping or slicking action of the rubbing-tool O by the bed support or roll G. This roll is mounted upon the hinged support 0 which is pivoted at g to the slide 0. The slide is mounted upon the yielding ways or rails g upon the inside of the side pieces a a The slide or carriage c is represented as composed of side sections which are held separate from each other by the cross pieces g g, the ends of the pieces 9 extending beyond the outer sides of the pieces g an'dresting upon the upper surfaces of the rails g, and the ends of the cross-pieces'g extending beyond the outer sides of the pieces 9 and bearing against the under surfaces of the rails g. The rails g areconnected at their ends by forked connecting-pieces G, which are mounted respectively upon the springs g g, carried by the rods g 9 The springs may be adjusted upon the rods or by means of suitable adjusting-nuts to vary their tension,or the rods themselves may be adjusted by screwing into nuts. \Ve have represented the last-named construction,the rods screwing into the nuts g respectively, and having the wheels g, by which they are turned. As the rails are thus held bet'ween'the two side pieces a a of the frame upon springs,

it follows that they permit a yielding movement to the flexible bed, the bed support or roll, and its carriage. The rails areverticall'y adjustable not only for the purpose of varying the power or stress with which the work is held in contact with the rubbing-tool, but to also vary the operative positionof the flexiof lowering the flexible bed sufficient to remove it from contact with the rubbing-pad.

There may be used in connection with the rubbing-tool and carried by the tool-holder c or the end of the pitman c an auxiliary rubbing or polishing tool M. This is represented as attached to the end of the pitman by-the upright m and horizontal piece on. This brings this auxiliary rubbing-tool in operative relation with the supplementary bed a. Its

use is to finish or polish that portion of the leather or skin which has been subjected to the action of the rubbing-tool and simultaneously with it.

At the beginning of the operation of the machine the rubbing-tool and the bed support or roll and the pad and the operating cranks and pitr'nen occupy the position represented in the position in Fig. 1that is, the rubbing-to'olis held in inclined position and lifted from the bed. The hide or skin is then placed upon the bed and upon the starting of the machine the rubbing-tool is moved downwardupon it into position over the bed roll or s'uppo'rt,-and the bed roll or support is moved and held in a vertical position and moves in unison with the rubbing-tool through its forward or Working stroke and a peculiar rubbing or slicking action is thus given the rubbing-tool. Upon the reverse movements of the'stroke the rubbing-tool bed and bedroll or support take the position represented in Fig. 1, and are held in that position during the full backward stroke'-th at is, the rubbing-tool is held from contact with the leather or other material carried by the WVh'ile th ismachine is especially adapted for doingthat part of leather-Working known as seasoning, yet we do not intend to confine it'suse to such work, as it may be employed in the other branches of leather working or finishing without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by'Letters Patent of the United States- 1. The combination, in a machine of the character specified, of the flexible bed F, its

m din bed support or roll G,

. pitman with the hinged roll-support 0 with the reciprocating tool 0, its support 0, hinged to'aswinging bar e', held at its upper end, as specified, its pivoted'supports e, the crank c, and the pitman c connecting the crank with thehinged' tool-support, substantially as described.

3i The combination of the vibrating tool 0, having the movements specified, the flexible bed F, the traveling bed support or roll G, the roll-carriage c and yielding Ways for the same, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the vibrating tool 0, having the movements specified, the flexible bed F, the yielding bed-supporting roll G, and the traversing yielding bed supporting the roll G, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the vibrating rubbing-tool 0, having the movements specified, the flexible bed F, and the adjustable bedsupporting roll G, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the vibrating tool 0, having the movements specified, the flexible bed F, the traversing bed-supporting roll G, and the lever for depressing said roll, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the vibrating tool 0, having the movements specified, the flexi- 2o THOMAS F. GAFNEY. THOMAS C. DAlVSON.

In presence of- F. F. RAYMOND, 2d, J. M. DOLAN. 

